Ms Paddy Kelly:

I will pick up on the issues around the Human Rights Act and the bill of rights. The Human Rights Act is part of the focus and concern of the Children's Rights Alliance and the Children's Law Centre in taking forward the work we are doing. We believe strongly that Brexit presents a threat in that regard and, consequently, to the human rights provisions of the Good Friday Agreement. We are deeply concerned about the UK Government's approach to the potential repeal of the Human Rights Act and its potential withdrawal from the ECHR. In addition, we are also very concerned about new immigration legislation the British Government is pushing through, which will undermine the rights of trafficked children, including children who have been trafficked through Ireland, and other measures that we believe undermine the protection of rights in the North.

I will move to the bill of rights and the charter of rights that is also provided for in the Good Friday Agreement.

I do not want to pre-empt the research that has been undertaken, but it is the view of the Children's Law Centre that a bill or charter of rights would provide a potential safeguard and safety net to mitigate any loss of rights that might arise as a result of Brexit and would offer increased protections as the North begins to fall behind EU countries as a consequence of Brexit. We have, since our foundation, advocated for a strong, enforceable bill of rights in the North, including strong protections for children's rights and the incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNCRC. Our colleagues in the Children's Rights Alliance would similarly welcome its incorporation in the South. I am also mindful of the requirement for equivalency of rights on the island of Ireland, something civil society has been advocating for since the Good Friday Agreement. The type of funding the community foundation, both North and South, is providing will facilitate that discourse continuing. It is important that in implementing and protecting the Good Friday Agreement, human rights be kept at the centre of the discourse.